VP, Client Partner

dentsu•USA - Remote - New Jersey, NJ

8d•$197,225 - $230,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Merkle is a leading data-driven, technology-enabled, global performance marketing agency that delivers unique, personalized customer experiences across platforms and devices. With 16,000+ teammates across 50+ global offices, we partner with Fortune 1000 companies to drive measurable growth through integrated data, CX, and technology solutions. ABOUT THE ROLE As Vice President, Client Partner, you are the senior-most Merkle executive on the account. You carry the account’s commercial result, set its strategy, and hold the client relationship at the altitude where budget decisions are made. Every other Merkle function on the account—account management, delivery, solutioning, and sales—contributes to a plan you own. You will lead a portfolio of strategic accounts generating $5M to $30M+ in annual net revenue across Merkle’s integrated capabilities: Modern CRM, Content Supply Chain, Martech for Media, Connected CX, B2B Transformation, and AI & Agentic Services, supported by alliance partnerships with Adobe, Google, Salesforce, AWS, and Braze, and the full power of One Merkle + One dentsu. The mandate is deliberate in its order: retention precedes growth. An account that is expanding while its base erodes is not growing. You are measured on the health and defense of the existing book before the increment. That means re-underwriting the value of current work every quarter—not just at renewal—then extending into adjacent scope where Merkle’s delivered performance is already the evidence, and finally opening new buying centers and capabilities with the Enterprise Sales Lead. You are not an account manager, a delivery leader, or a sales lead. Account management administers the commercial mechanics you direct. Delivery owns method and quality; you set the outcome and the commercial envelope. The Enterprise Sales Lead originates against the strategy you set. The client should be able to name one Merkle executive accountable for their account, and that executive should be able to answer any commercial, relationship, or delivery question about it without deferring. Where the client routes around the Client Partner, the role is not being performed. This is a remote opportunity that requires regularly being onsite at the client location that is based in Princeton, NJ. Reports to the SVP, Growth Officer.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience in client services, client management, or enterprise account leadership within an advertising agency, consultancy, marketing services firm, systems integrator, or client-side marketing organization, with direct P&L accountability for accounts of meaningful scale
Demonstrated success owning $20M+ books and leading complex, multi-service-line engagements across multiple industries, with a track record that includes both growing and defending revenue under pressure
Executive relationships held personally at CMO, CIO, or CFO level—not inherited or brokered—with the presence and credibility to earn trust at the altitude where budget decisions are made
Deep working knowledge of CXM/CRM, Loyalty, Data and Analytics, Identity, Digital Marketing, Content Supply Chain, B2B, and Enterprise AI / Martech—sufficient to hold a substantive conversation with a client technology leader, not just name the categories
Experience directing account teams you do not line-manage, and the judgment to set direction without relying on escalation—comfortable being accountable for outcomes produced by people who do not report to you
Strong commercial acumen: pricing strategy, multi-year deal structuring, negotiation, margin defense against procurement, and the discipline to manage forecasts, contracts, and AR with rigor
A specific account you defended against in-housing, offshore substitution, or a competitive displacement attempt—with the story of how you did it
Working command of modern AI capability and its effect on delivery timelines, commercial models, and client expectations
Alliance experience with Adobe, Salesforce, or a comparable platform partner, including joint account planning and co-sell execution
Bachelor’s degree required

Nice To Haves

advanced degree a plus

Responsibilities

Own a portfolio of strategic accounts end-to-end: client satisfaction, revenue retention (>90%), margin quality, forecast accuracy, and year-over-year growth
Defend the contracted revenue base against scope erosion, in-housing, offshore substitution, procurement-driven rate compression, and competitive displacement—re-underwriting the value case quarterly, not annually
Drive revenue expansion through cross-sell, adjacent-scope extension, new buying center entry, and AOR expansion, with at least two qualified non-CXM opportunities per book in support of the One dentsu growth model
Set and own the account strategy and growth plan, ensuring account management, delivery, and the Enterprise Sales Lead are working to a single, current, written plan you chair
Hold executive relationships personally at the altitude where budget decisions are made—CMO, CIO, CFO, and their direct reports—and map stakeholder coverage so that no single departure creates material account risk
Navigate complex multi-stakeholder environments across business, technology, operations, vendor management, and procurement, adapting your approach to each buyer style and extending Merkle’s footprint up and across the client organization
Manage all commercial aspects of the account: contracts, pricing, profitability, revenue and margin forecasting, and AR health, with the discipline to keep Salesforce accurate and current at all times
Bridge sub-Practice delivery with Solutioning, Account, and Program Management to streamline execution and deliver a white-glove client experience, holding delivery accountable for method and quality while you hold the commercial result
Partner with Alliance leaders (Adobe, Google, Salesforce, AWS, Braze) on joint account planning, pipeline mapping, and co-sell motions—bringing at least one Alliance Joint Teaming motion per account growth plan annually
Run a proactive Client Partner cadence: Innovation Days, Discovery Workshops, Executive Business Reviews, and quarterly value reviews structured around measured outcomes rather than activity
Maintain a frequent, consistent stream of thought leadership into your accounts—events, POVs, workshops, and executive narratives that position Merkle as a strategic partner, not a vendor
Provide leadership and direction to Account Directors, Engagement Leaders, and Capability teams in a matrixed environment, ensuring the account team operates as one seamless unit